


Fever Dream

by LastofMe



Series: Comparing Your Past To My Future [4]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Fall Out Boy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 17:11:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4795562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastofMe/pseuds/LastofMe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor takes Pete on an inside look at his friend's minds and he gets more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fever Dream

Pete could barely keep his eyes open on the way back from the venue. The show had been amazing; a big, excited crowd, a great venue, great production from the road crew. They were going to stay in town overnight while their gear was shipped to the next show. Pete liked travelling this way the best; it made him feel limitless to be with his three best friends in a band bound for anywhere. Patrick was sitting up front as Andy drove through the quiet streets to the motel with a light hold on Andy’s sleeve. Maybe Joe is right… He could see the edge of the cord peeking out from his shirt as Joe leaned his head on the window.

Joe had told him the story that night after they had untangled themselves from the sheets. One touch of the plant Joe called Mirth was all it took for Pete to believe him completely. Andy had found out the next morning after Pete and Patrick had gone to an interview. Pete had fallen asleep to Patrick’s muffled crying and Joe’s snoring that night. _Patrick’s got some nasty dark circles under his eyes and Andy doesn’t look much better. I offered to switch rooms with him, but he said he was fine._ Joe’s pinky sneaked across the seats to wrap around Pete’s and Pete squeezed back.

When they got back to the rooms, Joe set about tending his plants wile Pete flopped onto the beds.

“The look on Andy’s face was priceless when he saw these,” Joe dropped his voice to mimic him, ““Fine, you can keep them but I better not smell them. And keep them away from Patrick too; he has too much to worry about.” And then I had him touch Mirth and he practically skipped around until he saw Patrick again.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re a thing.”

“For a poet, you’re pretty slow to catch on. Do you think they know about us?”

Pete lifted his head to see Joe pointedly looking away. “Come here.” Joe crossed the room still staring at the floor and Pete yanked him down onto the bed. “If they do, I don’t care and I don’t think they care.” Joe laughed that little laugh that made Pete’s breath catch and Pete knew he wouldn’t let his lover go until morning.

A few hours later, Pete woke with a start in a strange bed, much nicer than the one he had started in. “Joe? Joe?!” Pete felt around, but there was no one else under the plush comforter. A light clicked on and a familiar lanky man was sitting in an armchair in the corner.

“What the hell? Where am I and what have you done?”

“I thought that visiting people’s dreams would be half as fun without someone to share it with and I didn’t want you to think I’ve been neglecting you!” The Doctor stood and bounced toward the door.

“But what about Patrick? You’re sure as hell neglecting him. You take us away and leave him behind! He runs after you every time! After that thing with Joe, Andy had to carry him back to bed because he was that exhausted!”

The Doctor paused at the door but didn’t face Pete’s angry glare. He spoke softly, “I know. It’s for his safety. If the two of us were in the same place for too long, I shudder to think of the consequences.”

“Consequences?”

The Doctor was in Pete’s face in an instant and his tone sharpened, “You think nothing would happen to two errant Time Lords who stole TARDIS’, particularly when one was the son of a very important man and never bothered to phone home. You said something once about burning down a city to show someone light? Imagine that on a planetary scale.”

“Patrick wrote that line…”

“I know.”

“He’s been looking for you for years…”

“Yes and because of your songs, I’ve been able to follow him from a distance. And as a sign of my eternal gratitude, I want to show you into the dreams of the three people you love the most.”

“What do you get out of it?” The Doctor’s smile stopped reaching his eyes and Pete saw the face of a tired old man seeking the answer to his very last question. He thought better of his question. “I want to see Joe’s dreams.”

“Very well!” The Doctor was his jovial self again, “Just to the other side of this door now. And a quick caution, you can only be seen or heard by people who are dreaming about you.”

Pete opened the door into one of the loudest parties he had ever been to. He couldn’t make out a lot of the faces of the attendants, but they seemed to be having a good time. Winding his way through the crowded dance floor, Pete made his way to what looked like the bar. The figure standing there took no notice of him and kept making drinks. The Doctor writhed around on the dance floor with the other partiers with a huge grin on his face.

“So Joe dreams of an endless party? But he didn’t invite me.” Pete’s reverie was interrupted by a soft chime. An elevator door opened next to him and Pete walked over to it. There was only one button on the panel and Pete began the journey upward. It chimed again as it opened into a well-appointed apartment. The only light came from outside the sliding glass doors which looked out into a swimming pool. The pool went to the edge of the roof so it looked like the figure in the pool was leaning out into space.

Pete stripped down to his boxers and swam out to meet Joe.

“Cool party Joe, but why didn’t I get invited and why are you up here?”

He was surprised when Joe turned to face him. “Because I wanted to be with you up here. Down there isn’t always fun anymore.”

“You can see me?”

“I’ve always been able to see you. Even when you can’t see yourself. Remember when you overdosed? I sat with you every day until you woke up. Andy and Patrick ran around taking care of everything else so I could be there for you. That’s when I started coming up here. The party reminded me of almost losing you and I didn’t want to think of anything enjoyable without you. But now, I like listening to it. Reminds me of when I didn’t have a care in the world,” he wrapped his arms around Pete, “but you’re the thing that I care most about.”

“When you’re awa… when we’re together you’re the only thing I can see too. I’m sorry for how much I’ve hurt you and I’m trying so hard to get better. And finally knowing what you really feel… Joe, I’m going to take so much better care of you.”

The kiss that followed was broken by a loud clapping and a “Woohoo!” from the other side of the pool. The Doctor had deposited himself into a lounge chair, surrounded by the remnants of several fruity drinks.

“Can’t you see we’re having a moment over here?!” yelled Pete as he swam back to the deck, a confused Joe in his wake.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Ah… I need to go take care of something. Don’t worry, I’ll always come back.”

Joe seemed satisfied as Pete dried off and pulled his clothes back on. He hauled the Doctor up by his scruff and back into the penthouse.

“What was that all about?”

The Doctor hiccupped, “Well we can’t stay here all night! Come, come! Where to next?”

Pete flipped a coin in his head. “Andy.”

The Doctor clapped his hands together with glee. “Wonderful! Let’s go!”  He headed toward the elevator which Pete realized had turned into a heavy wooden door.

When the door finally creaked open, Pete was standing in a wide meadow. The sun was bright with puffy clouds floating past and a warm breeze ruffled his hair. A narrow dirt trace ran under his feet toward the near tree line and he walked slowly along it, marveling at the realness. The Doctor followed him quietly as they walked deeper into the woods. After a few minutes, Pete became concerned that he was walking in the middle of nowhere; but as he came to the edge of a small cliff, he saw the goal of his trek. A little cabin was nestled in a small clearing with a little vegetable garden around it. A figure was bent over in the dirt as he approached and he ended up following Andy and his bin of potatoes into the cabin.

They entered through the back door and Andy went over to his sink to begin washing his potatoes. Pete looked around the room at the little table and chairs nestled against one wall by the china cabinet. There were plenty of cabinets and counter space in the kitchen half of the room and Pete was certain that the little white box kept cool through a piece of ice. He peeked through the latched door into the root cellar before passing into the living room. This room was lined with books and had big, comfy looking couches around a low table. A drum kit and a guitar sat in the corner. The stairs led up into a loft bedroom with a large bed. A beautiful panorama greeted Pete as he sat in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch.

“I could stay here forever,” said Pete as he looked over at the Doctor in the other chair. “But there’s something I have to look at.” He headed back into the living room and sat on one of the couches. A heavy, leather bound book with two hearts engraved on the cover sat on the middle of the table. Pete opened to the first page and Andy and Patrick stared back up at him.

Specifically a much younger Andy with long hair and a fresh faced Patrick grinning awkwardly. “This is when we first started the band,” he told the Doctor as he sat down on the couch with him. “And this is our first show, our first recording studio, our first tour…” He saw himself in a few of the pictures, but most of them were snapshots of Andy or Patrick. He turned the page a few more times and stopped. The pictures had become unfamiliar. Andy in a shirt and jacket kissing Patrick in a suit as Pet and Joe cheered in the back ground.

“This hasn’t happened at all,” and Pete smiled has he realized what he was seeing. “But it looks like the wedding of the century.” He flipped through more wedding pictures and a backpacking trip that looked like the honeymoon. Then there were pictures of the cabin and Andy tending the garden and Patrick picking at a guitar on the front porch at sunset.

He hadn’t noticed the Doctor sitting next to him until he reached out to touch the picture of Patrick on the porch. The Doctor looked like an old man again.

“They look so happy together,” his fingers lingered on Patrick’s cheek and Pete watched a new resolve light up the Doctor’s eyes.“We need to protect this.” Pete wrapped an arm around the Doctor’s shoulders,

“I will; don’t you worry.”

There was a jiggle at the door latch and Patrick entered the cabin. His hands were full of what looked like grocery shopping and he readjusted to take off his hat and hang it on the hook by the door as he called out, “Andy-love, I got everything we need, but it’s getting kind of heavy.”

Andy strode into the room, but instead of picking up the bags, he swept his husband into a hug and kiss that would have knocked anyone else over. “I love it when you call me that.”

Patrick smiled, “I know. We got a letter from Pete and Joe.”

Andy took the bags into the kitchen and began putting the contents away, “What did they say?”

“We have a recording date and Pete sent some lyrics he wants me to look at. They seem to be doing well. Lunch smells good.”

“That’s actually dessert.”

“Berry cobbler is a meal.”

“What am I supposed to do about your sweet tooth, Pattycake?” The two men filled the little kitchen with laughter, unaware of their guests. Pete caught the Doctor wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

“Come on you sop, let’s see Patrick’s dream now.”

With that the door to the root cellar began to glow and Pete and the Doctor stepped through.

It was pitch black on the other side of the door and the Doctor pulled out his sonic to light the way. As they shuffled along, the inky blackness became claustrophobic and Pete was convinced he could hear something off in the distance.

“Doesn’t that sound like someone crying?” asked Pete.

The Doctor’s face was grim, “I suppose we’ll have to find out.”

Pete swallowed hard in his throat as the sound grew louder. He appeared out of nowhere, a small sandy haired boy with his face buried in his knees, crying alone. Pete knelt beside him.

“What’s wrong, buddy?”

He picked up his head to reveal a light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks and swollen gray eyes. “They won’t stop laughing at me.” As if on cue, three mirrors sprang up around the boy. Cloudy figures stared out from the glass and whispered.

_Crybaby Go home and play dollys I thought real Time Lords were brave Nobody wants to be your friend._

Pete put his hand on the boy’s. “Let’s go for a walk. Why don’t you show me your favorite place?”

“Ok,” the boy took Pete’s hand and the mirrors vanished and the inky blackness became a galaxy. “I like the stars best. I’m going to go out in them one day with my best friend and we’ll have grand adventures visiting all of the planets.”

The Doctor knelt down next to the boy, “Where is your friend right now?”

“I don’t know, he said that he had to go away for a little bit, but that he’ll be back soon to get me.” The boy looked down at his shoes, “I want to believe him, but I don’t know anymore.”

“I can’t tell you if he ever comes back or not,” said Pete as he gazed up into the stars. “But you’re a kind, gentle person with an amazing gift and I think that you need to believe in that. You’ll be in the stars one day. I promise.”

“Thanks Pete.” Pete turned and started when he saw adult Patrick in place of the boy. “You three have always been there for me, even when I wasn’t being honest with you. It may have taken me an entire galaxy of travel to figure it out, but this is the time and place I need to be in.

Pete reached out to wrap Patrick in a hug but was knocked back as the mirrors materialized again. They formed a complete circle around Patrick and the Doctor. Pete could see a shadowy, hooded figure in each mirror walking closer and becoming more defined.

_Found you! FOUND YOU!! FOUND YOU!!!_

The Doctor grabbed Patrick by the hand and pushed out of the circle of mirrors.

“Run!”

Pete didn’t need to be told twice. He looked back a few moments later to see the Doctor, but no Patrick.

“Where is he!?”

“He woke up, but this isn’t a dream anymore. It’s real and the Seekers are coming. He’ll make us a door so keep running!”

Sure enough a door appeared on the horizon and Pete threw himself into the bright light. He found himself running into Patrick and Andy’s room. Faint streaks of pink out the window told him it was nearing dawn. Joe grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Where have you been? I woke up to Patrick screaming and you weren’t there!”

Pete looked past him to Patrick, who was sitting up in bed in Andy’s arms; clutching his chest and stomach. He looked Patrick in the eye. _You remember your dream._

The scene was broken by a whooshing noise and a familiar blue box appeared at the end of it.

The Doctor stepped out, looking more disheveled than normal.

“The Seekers are coming and they aren’t going to stop until they have him, dead or alive.”


End file.
